


Harlot

by lightrose



Category: Homestuck
Genre: AU, Dersecest - Freeform, F/M, Homestuck - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-28
Updated: 2014-05-07
Packaged: 2017-12-13 06:27:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/821097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightrose/pseuds/lightrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave Strider is a painter who loses inspiration and happiness. He finds himself meeting a woman of the night who changes his outlook on life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chance Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so, when I wrote this, I had NO idea that Amsterdam was in the Netherlands. So if it sounds like it's in England, I am sorry. Furthermore, if it seems historically inaccurate, dear lord tell me! Thanks and enjoy!

    The year was 1870 and the cold air swept gently across the town of Amsterdam. A young man walks the lonely back streets with a solemn expression. He is cold, hungry, and at a loss. He wanders himself into an old bar called the Harlequin. He sat down in a dusty stool at the bar when the bartender greeted him in his usual manner. “Hey Sailor, will you be having your usual ten rounds?” The man nods. The bartender hands him a glass of whiskey and wipes the counter. The man chugs the drink and sighs, “Damn, thanks John. I needed that.” “You ‘need it’ every night, my good man. Your tab is ridiculous!” The man chuckled and drank more. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair and looked up at his friend. “I’m telling you, John, inspiration is hard to come by these days. And don’t worry about that tab of mine; I’ll pay you back when I can.” John laughed and threw his rag at the man, “Whatever you say, Dave, whatever you say.”  
Dave Strider once served in the navy. There was a draft five years back to fight the French, and because Dave was but fifteen at the time, he was snatched up and enlisted. He was a fairly good soldier. He knew his way around a boat and was a very skilled fighter. He moved his way up the ranks in a year’s time; he even met the queen herself. But around 1868, Dave suffered from an eye injury that turned his irises red and gave him mild light sensitivity. He was ordered to wear special sun blocking spectacles and was therefore discharged from the navy. Because he was discharged he no longer was paid for his services. From then on he spent his days painting; he was rather good at it. Before enlisting, he considered moving to America to study the arts but he just never had the funds. Unfortunately, he is always at a loss of inspiration; with no ideas forming inside his head, he spends his nights drinking himself under the table and his days extremely hung over. It was a miserable life, a terribly miserable life.  
The clock struck midnight and the bar was ready to close. John Egbert, Dave’s loyal friend and town bartender, was staking chairs and trying to wake up a passed out Dave at the bar. “It’s closing time, Dave. I mean, I could let you sleep in the back if you want but, uh, I think that would be bad for business.” Dave looked up at him with tired eyes and a mouth covered in drool.  
“What?”  
“It’s time to get going, mate.” John said as he swept.  
“Oh…well, Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”  
Dave stood and staggered toward the door and turned back to John.  
“I’ll….um…shit, what was I gonna say?”  
    John walked over to him and helped him balance. “Do you need any help? I mean, you aren’t in any condition to walk home by yourself.”  
Dave chuckled and patted John’s face. He gave him a reassuring hand wave and walked out onto the cold, dark street. “I’m good. Till tomorrow, more than likely; we’ll talk politics.” He walked down the cobble stone road heading back towards his small flat. As he staggered home, he sung an old Irish tune that his brother used to sing him to bed. He passed closed shops and boarded up houses. The old church stood tall and proud to his left when he turned on the main street; it was the oldest building in town and the only church. Dave raised his middle finger up to the holy building, muttering softly he said, “Piece of shit. There’s no God in this retched town.” He put his hands back into his pockets and continued on home. The town was full of crime and poverty. Prostitutes and drug dealers littered the streets and the police were corrupt as tainted milk. It was a town of sin, a town that lacked morals and good nature. Dave hated his town; he hated it more than anything.  
He stumbled down the road, singing incomprehensibly. He soon felt very sick; he got intense nausea and ran into an alley to throw up. When he was done he wiped his mouth of the mess and noticed something that caught his eye. Several large men were surrounding someone. They all looked as if they might have been policemen. He stood to get a better view of the commotion and noticed what it was. He saw a woman-possibly around his age- up against a brick all, cornered by the men. He listened closely and heard their conversation.  
“….And what are you doing out this late, poppet?”  
“I’m just enjoying the winter air of course.”  
“Dressed like that? Don’t get smart with us, missy.”  
The officers walked closer to the women. She seemed uneasy.  
“You wouldn’t be soliciting would you? That’s a crime in these parts.”  
“That’s my business. I have the right not to tell you and you, kind sir, have the right to keep your arse out of it.”  
The woman smirked at them and stood with her hands on her hips. Dave sensed that there might be trouble soon, so he started to quietly make his way over to the confrontation. The lead officer stepped in breathing distance of the woman and grabbed her aggressively by her shoulders.  
“You snarky bitch, I know your kind. While decent citizens work all day on their feet, you spend all your time on your back.”  
“Let me go you bastard! What the hell do you want?!”  
“Well, I’m considering taking you in. But you see, it’s been a very long night and our wives won’t be willing to please us. Are you following me, whore?”  
The woman squirmed violently to get away, but it was to no avail. She looked frail and not very strong. Dave had to think fast.  
“What do you say then?” Asked the officer as he held the woman by her cheeks in one hand, and groped her left breast in the other. The other men moved in, chuckling fiendishly. “Get off me!” The women yelled. The men boomed with laughter. “Who is going to help you? It’s our word against yours, harlot.”  
   “Excuse me mates, but um…that girl’s mine.”  
The officers turned around to see Dave standing with his hands in his pockets and a blank expression. “What was that?” The leader said, letting go of the woman. She fell hard on her rear with a loud thud. “Oh, uh, I said that she was mine. I bought her for the night¸ but I ran off to take a strong piss. I’ll be taking her back now.” He looked at the woman, and the woman looked back at him. Tilting his glasses, he winked at her, signaling her to follow his lead. She nodded.  
“Is that so?” one of the other officers asked. Dave nodded, “Oh yeah. You see, the loins get lonely and cold. So, why not get a fine young woman to keep them warm, eh?” The men turned to Dave and stepped closer to him. “What are you playing at? This transaction is still very illegal.” “So is rape you scum.” Dave said with a smirk. The cop grabbed him and lifted him off the ground. “Why you, I’d oughta-!” Suddenly, the huge cop was hit on top of his head with a wooden box. He came down to the ground in an instant. The other cops rushed to his aid. The woman looked up at Dave frantically and yelled, “Come on!” and they bolted from the scene, the police yelling and swearing behind them. Dave turned to the woman and said, “Follow me!” She nodded and ran alongside him fast and hard until the cops could no longer be heard.  
The two of them finally made their way to Dave’s flat, out of breathe and hearts racing. “Blimey! Did we lose ‘em? I don’t see them.” Dave asked as he leaned against his door. The woman peeked around the corner and sighed, “Yeah, they’re gone.” She said, as she leaned next to him. She laughed and pulled a cigarette out of her jacket pocket. Lighting it, she said, “I’ve got to say, that was a very nice plan. I owe you one.” Dave scoffed and shook his head. “Yeah, yeah, don’t mention it. You seemed like you were in a predicament.” The woman looked up and down at him and nodded slowly. Dave noticed and got a confused look on his face.  
“What?”  
“Well?”  
“’Well’ what…?”  
   “You said you bought me for the evening. Need to get your rocks off? I’ll let you get it for free since you saved me and all.”  
Dave blushed. He wasn’t completely sober but he was still coherent enough to know that that would not mow over nicely. “Look, um, you seem like a pretty nice dame and I’m pretty sure that many guys would want to…I mean, I’m pretty sure that they already have…shit, what am I saying? Look, no thanks. It was a clever ruse okay? I don’t want to sleep with you.” The woman shrugged. “Fine by me; can’t blame a lady for trying, right?”  
The two stood in silence as the woman finished her smoke. It had to have been around one thirty in the morning when the moon had shown, casting light upon the woman in an almost angelic way. Dave took this time to get a better look at her. She was a pale woman, blonde and slender. She sported black lipstick that matched the headband atop her head. She was not that much shorter than Dave, even in her heeled boots. She had an air that was intoxicating, like a dangerously guilty pleasure. The way she stood was sophisticated, elegant, and confident yet relaxed. Underneath her jacket, she wore a black and red corset that hugged her body perfectly and a red skirt that reached her ankles. To Dave, all of those features were irrelevant compared to her bright orchid eyes. They were the most beautiful pair of eyes that Dave had ever seen.  
“Rose.”  
“Huh?”  
    “My name, it’s Rose, Rose Lalonde, but more commonly known as “Town Whore”, or “You Harlot”. She stuck out her hand to shake with Dave.  
Dave stared at her hand. It was bare and pink from the cold, it shook slightly. He took her hand in his and shook it.  
“Strider, Dave Strider.” They shared a smirk as they continued to shake hands. “Are you going back out?” Rose nodded. “Yes, my work doesn’t stop until the church bell rings at five o’clock.” Dave scratched his head and sighed heavily. He took off his gloves and handed them to Rose. She looked shocked at him and cocked her head slightly to the left. “Look, it is cold as all hell out here. At least keep your hands warm while you’re…working.” Rose hesitantly took the gloves and put them on. They were a little too big for her small hands but she, nevertheless, thanked him. “I’m assuming you wouldn’t want these back.” “Lord no.” They laughed loudly.  
“I’ll be seeing you then, Mr. Strider. Thanks again for your help.”  
“Don’t worry about it. Just be careful okay? It’s rough out there and not everyone is as generous as I am.”  
“Hmph, you don’t worry about me, but I appreciate your concern. Anyway, I best be off.” She started down the street without as much as a backward glance. Dave watched her turn around the corner and into the darkness that was his quiet neighborhood. He sighed once more and went inside. He took off his coat and slumped onto his bed. His room was littered with canvases, different forms of paint, and empty bottles of whiskey. He hadn’t had inspiration in a very long time, and it has made him depressed. He yawns a mighty a mighty yawn and gets under the covers. The night he had was very interesting and completely out of the norm for him; the most fun he has these days is passing out at the Harlequin and listening to John’s terrible jokes. He closed his eyes and uttered a whisper. A whisper so quiet, a person sitting directly next to him could not hear.  
“Goodnight Rose.”


	2. Iron Bars and Church Bells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start looking up...or do they?

The next afternoon, Dave woke up with the biggest of hangovers. He rolled out of bed and stumbled to the kitchen get bread and cheese for breakfast. He ate in silence; the only sound coming from him was his chewing and dissatisfied grumbles. He longed for a better meal. He had not had real food in a while from lack of funds. It was then he remembered that he was going out to find a job today. Dave washed under his arms and sprayed on some musk. He put on his boots, coat, and shades and walked out into the afternoon cold.  
The streets were busy with merchants and school children running home. He lit a cigarette and headed east. The part of town he lived in looked a lot better in the day. People were still not as friendly as he would have hoped, but something about the daytime atmosphere made it all bearable. As he walked, the church bell rung loudly in the distance, causing his ears to ring a high pitched frequency and made him wince in pain. “….God damned bell!” He yelled. He continued down the road until he made it to the fish markets. The air was thick with the smell of newly caught salmon, and drenched with the stench of perch. Holding his breath, he walked to the burly manager who was sitting outside of the large warehouse smoking a cigar.  
“Excuse me, sir.”  
“Aye, what be you then?  
“I’m looking for work.”  
“Is that so? Tell me about yourself.”  
“Not much to tell sir; the name’s Strider, I’m a navy veteran so I know my way around a boat, also I am always available to work.”  
The manager looked Dave up and down and narrowed his eyes at him. “A sailor you say? You used to serve under the crown?” Dave nodded. The manager stood up from his stool and blew cigar smoke in Dave’s face. “You know, my brother fought in that war. Died, shot in the head he was.” Dave kicked the ground and cleared his throat, “I’m uh…sorry to hear that sir.” “No, No, that be life, my good man!” He laughed and slapped Dave hard on the back. He took Dave by the hand and shook it aggressively. Booming with laughter, he told him, “I like you, Strider. Welcome aboard! I had a lot more workers but, with the Consumption going ‘round…you know how it is.” Dave scratched the back of his neck and chuckled in agreement. “Well, blimey Sir I-““-Nah, nah! Call me Seamus!” Seamus laughed once more. Dave shook his hand and walked with his new boss into the store so he could get his work schedule worked out. He would be able to start in the morning bright and early. His job entailed him to unload fish from the shipment cars and put them in the back to clean. It was a simple job that lasted all day. He didn’t complain though; work was work.  
It was now around three in the afternoon. He usually spent this time searching for inspiration. He tends to start off his journey by visiting his friend at the flower shop. It was a long walk from where he was, but on the way, he preoccupied his thoughts of what happened last night. Despite having been inebriated, he recalled the events clearly. He wondered if he would ever see Rose Lalonde again. Even more so, did he want to? There was something about her; something that intrigued him. He walked and walked until he made it to the busy shopping district. From the center of the square, he heard his name being called. He looked up and smiled when he saw a familiar face. A girl standing in the doorway of a small shop waved him to come over. She was of medium height, tanned, and had long raven hair. Dave ran over excitedly to meet his friend.  
“Hello, Jade.” He said with a kind smile. “Hi Dave, I’m so happy to see you! I haven’t seen you in a few days now, I was kind of worried.” She gave him a tight hug that quickly winded him. “Heh, same here Jade. Tell me, how’s the shop coming along these days?” Jade rolled her eyes and grabbed her broom. Sweeping, she sighed an answer, “Not as well as I would have hoped, I’m afraid. Sure, people come in for produce like apples and what have you, but no one seems to want to buy a flower unless someone’s died.” Dave shrugged and looked around the shop. It was filled to the nines with flowers, plants, vegetables and fruit. The interesting thing about Jade Harley’s shop is that, despite the cold weather, there were always fully bloomed flowers. Bright and colorful daffodils, vibrant marigolds, dazzling tulips and the list went on and on. No one knew how she did this; some assumed magic, others thought she just had a really good green thumb. But it was a secret that Jade would willingly take to her grave. Dave regularly stopped by to cheer himself up with Jade’s friendly company. They had met at The Harlequin a year or so back while Jade was making a delivery to John. The three of them have been good friends since. Jade was one of the few people who were kind to Dave. When he’s feeling down, she lets him come in they would chat over tea. She normally lets him sketch flowers when he is in the mood to and gives him free produce whenever he’s hungry.  
As they sat at a table and munched on apples, they discussed what was going on in Dave’s life. “….No inspiration, you say? Well, that’s no excuse to go get drunk off your arse!” Jade scolded. “Yeah, I know but, shit; life’s hard as it is, Jade.” Jade pouted and finished her apple. She knew that Dave had been depressed for months and knew that telling him what to do was a lost cause. Sighing, she got up and looked out the window. The sun was setting and all the shops were closing for the night. “Well, Dave, it seems we talked for hours again.” Dave laughed and rubbed his head. “Yeah, it’s a crazy habit we’ve got, Jade.” He looked on the floor and noticed that Jade’s giant white wolf dog, Bec, was lying asleep at his feet. Dave pets the dog and looked back up to Jade. “How is ol’ Bec these days?” Jade, bringing some flowers in from outside answered, “He’s okay. He likes to disappear every now and again, and still doesn’t want me leaving the house at night; he’s such a good dog.” Dave stood and helped Jade bring the rest of the merchandise inside the shop before he headed out the door. Before he left, Jade handed him a small basket filled with fruit, vegetables, and some flowers.  
“Here you go, Dave; you need to eat.”  
“….And the flowers are for what exactly?”  
“Well, inspiration can be found anywhere. And well, I know how much you like sketching them. Now run along, Dave. I don’t want you running into the police again.”  
“Yeah, I hear you. Goodnight, Jade.” With a wave goodbye, he was gone once more down the lonely streets.  
Once he got home, he placed the basket of goods on the table and lit up the fire place; the fire shown big and bright throughout the small flat. He pulled out his pad and paper and decided to sketch the flowers that Jade had given him. The flowers were sweet smelling and a beautiful shade of yellow. He didn’t really know what kind of flowers they were, so he just assumed wild flowers. He felt his angst melt away as he listed all the good things that happened to him today. He was grateful for such a good day.  
A couple of months passed and Dave was really happy at the job he had. He wasn’t paid much but he was paid enough to actually buy food for himself and enjoy evenings with Jade and John. The docks however were a very seedy place; opium dealers and prostitutes frequented the area often. People often got robbed, raped, or killed around there-sometimes even all three. Dave wasn’t really afraid of such things, though. Seamus always had Dave unloading the fish every day. It was an easy job but sometimes the fish got heavy and he’d always go home smelling horrible-cats often followed him back, to his dismay. He was sometimes told to make deliveries to the houses of old women and disabled townsfolk. He met more people this way, which he had no problem with. On days when he didn’t work, he went down to the water’s edge and sketched the waves crashing on the icy shore. Sometimes seagulls and stray dogs inhabited the beach, but other than that it was quiet and void of life due to the cold ocean breeze.  
On one chilly afternoon, Seamus came to Dave during his break holding a small lumpy package looking suspicious.  
“Aye, Dave. I need you to do me a favor: An officer is going to come by and I need you to give him this package for me. It is very important!” He handed Dave the package and looked around. Dave took it and examined it. “So…” he said as he flipped it upside down. “What is it?” “That’s not important! What is important is that you give it to him and go on about your own business.” Dave nodded and pocketed the parcel. “Alright, when should I expect him?” “In the next couple of hours; I told him a worker has it so he should come straight to you. I need to go to into town. See you in a bit.” Dave scratched his head and yawned. “Aye, see you later.”  
Dave looked at the package and finally noticed how heavy it was. Shrugging it off, he put it away and went on about his day. He spent the next few hours taking inventory and unloading fish that were sitting in crates. He was the only one there at the time; either everyone else was off for the afternoon or they were too drunk to show up for work. Nevertheless, Dave waited. He waited for a good three hours for the alleged officer to show his face. While admiring a few classy dames who waved at him from across the street, he noticed an officer walking towards the shop. He stood and got the package out of his pocket. The closer the officer got to him, the more clearly Dave could see his face; the clearer his face, the more recognizable the officer actually looked.  
“Oh shit”  
He quickly popped up the collar of his coat and ducked his face down in it. The officer got to him and said, “Your boss said he had you were holding something for me?” Deepening his voice, Dave replied, “Uh, yea. Sure do. Here.” He handed him the parcel and turned away. The officer looked down at him suspiciously and asked, “Excuse me, haven’t I seen you before?” “No, no! I don’t think you have.” The officer narrowed his eyes for a better look, and then he let out a triumphant yell. “Ah! I know now! You’re the bloke from a few months back! Tis a small town; no face is unfamiliar.” He grabbed Dave by his shoulders and pinned him hard against the wall. “You think you’re a sly one, eh boy-o? You think you can get away with clocking my brains in with a crate, do ya? Well I know just what to do with you!” Dave squirmed, trying to get away. The officer towered over him and had his feet inches from the ground. “Lemme go damnit! What are you doing?!” The officer laughed and punched Dave hard in his stomach. He hit the ground, writhing in pain. The officer opened the package and pulled out a countless amount of money. “Ah, I see my protection money has come in. Unfortunately, it only covers some employees, not all. Come on you!” He handcuffed Dave and dragged him to away to the patty wagon. Throwing him in the back, he spat, “Looks like your girly isn’t here to save you this time, you rat bastard!” And with that Dave was carted away off to prison. The ride was bumpy against the cobblestone streets. Dave was thrashed about the cart like a barn in a tornado, hitting the walls of the small wagon as it barreled down the road. Once at their destination, Dave was lead into the small jail. The officer walked him down a long hallway filled with cells containing insane men. The prisoners wailed and yelled obscenities at Dave and his companion. After a while, Dave finally made it to a cell in the back of the prison. He was thrown in on his face, still cuffed. “You arse! What do you want with me?” Dave asked as he backed himself against a wall. He knew a fight would do him no good where he was; it was the cop’s word against his. “Oh, well,” The officer started as he cracked his knuckles and closed the door to the cell. “I’ve been hoping I’d come across you again. You see I hold grudges pretty tightly. It seems to be my lucky day today. I’ve already come in contact with your little friend. I taught her a good lesson, I did. Now she’s got a nice red bruise under her eye to match her lil’ red tea cup.” Dave didn’t know why, but he suddenly got very angry. His blood boiled something horrible and he lunged at the man in front of him. “YOU SON OF A BITCH, I’LL FUCKING-!” He rammed into the officer’s stomach and tried his best to fight off the man who was now wailing on him like there was no tomorrow. Unable to fight back, Dave took every hit with a look of utter loathing and resentment.  
The beating lasted for a good thirty minutes. He sat in his cell bleeding, bruised, and sun glasses broken swearing quietly to his self. “Goddamned bastard; who the hell does he think he is?” He said as he wiped blood from his lip. From the small window across from him, he could see that it was now night time. He doubted that he would still have his job by time he got out, if he got out. Out of anger he punched the wall, which only made his hand hurt more than it already did. Was it all a set up or just a coincidence? Either way, he was mad. He had finally found steady self-satisfaction only to have it ripped away from him. After a short while, a different officer came in to his cell. Balling up his fist, Dave asked, “What do you want?” The officer stepped to the side and gestured towards the outside. “You’re free to go. Someone posted bail.” Dave’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped.  
“What?”  
“You heard me. Your uncle sent in some money and a nicely worded note. Here,” he tossed it to him and walked away. “Hurry up and get out.”  
Dave stood and examined the letter. It read:

“To whom it may concern,  
I apologize for my nephew, Dave Strider’s, behavior. Enclosed I have packaged a sum of 100 pounds for my nephew’s bail. He really is a good boy, you see, and I’d rather him not be in prison.  
God Bless,  
Daniel H. Higgenbottom Esquire.”

Confused, Dave walked out into the night. The air was very cold on his open wounds and it made him shudder. He glanced at the letter in his hand once more. “This was the worst day ever. Who even sent this?” Suddenly, a familiar voice chimed from behind him.  
“We’re even now.”  
Dave snapped around quickly to see none other than Rose Lalonde leaning cross-armed against a light post. She gave him a sly smirk and cocked her head innocently.  
“Rose? What are you-?”  
“I said that we are even. You helped me so, in turn, I helped you. See how that works?” She walked toward him with a satisfied look. Once she got arm’s length from him, he could see the bruise under her right eye more clearly. He looked down at the ground, ashamed. “Your eye….” He said, avoiding her gaze. He was very concerned; he felt as if it was his fault as he was the one who butt into the alteration months ago. Rose just looked away off into space, also avoiding Dave. “Yeah….But it’s nothing. These things happen all the time. You look worse though.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a few bandages for Dave’s smallest scars. Placing them on his head, she spoke, “You’re probably wondering how I knew you were in prison. Well, after I got my grand beating, they went off towards the docks. Thinking you might be there, I figured that if I got there first, I could warn you. Unfortunately, I got there as soon as they carted you off.” She finished dressing his wounds and stepped back. Dave looked down at her in disbelief; before him was this woman he barely knew bailing him out of prison. Part of him had shattered pride, thinking he could have done it all on his own. The other half was deeply grateful. “You wasted 100 whole pounds just for me?” Rose shrugged and replied, “I wouldn’t call it a waste; I owed you one. And-““-and you got clocked for it. Yeah I’m totally worth it!” Dave interrupted as he turned to walk away. “Look, thanks but no thanks okay? Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other things to take care of.” “Yeah, I noticed that you didn’t smell of whiskey this night. You should go do something about that.” Dave cringed with irritation and turned back towards Rose. She looked very serious and seemed to be shivering again. He wasn’t surprised; the coat she was wearing only had a small amount of fox fur trimmed along the hood and she sported a lavender corset with a black ankle length skirt. With a closer look, Dave saw that she still had on the gloves he had given her.  
Dave sighed and asked, “Look…did you eat yet?” Rose’s expression went from an aggravated pout to wide eyed confusion. “I’m sorry?” Dave walked back to her and continued. “Look, Ms. Lalonde, The least I can do is put something in your stomach and someplace warm for a few hours. What do you say?” Rose lifted an eyebrow and licked her lip. Dave let out a yell. “A tavern, I’m taking you to a bloody tavern! Jesus woman, cool off for a second!” She laughed and stepped past him. “Well, that is a very charming offer. It’s a deal, I’ll go with you. I am officially yours for the evening.” Dave smirked and started walking. “Fine, let’s go. I know a spot.” And with that, the two made their way down the quiet street.  
The pair had walked and talked for the next forty-five minutes on their way to the Harlequin. Dave asked her all sorts of questions that she was more than happy to answer. In turn, Dave told her all about the war and how it was fighting.  
“….so you really got to sail the seas? Fascinating….”  
“Yea, it was a damn good time. I met a few good mates here and there. I’ve even been to Germany. Too be warned, the brew over there is much too strong for my taste.”  
The two of them laughed some more as they continued on their excursion. Dave was growing fond of Rose’s company, and Rose was finding Dave more and more interesting as time went on. As they turned a corner, Rose heard the sound of crying. She stopped and looked around to find a small girl crying alone in an alley. “Oh no….” She breathed as she ran over with Dave looking lost. She kneeled down to the crying child and said in a kind voice. “Hello there, love. Are you lost?” The girl nodded frantically and whipped her eyes. “M-my mummy, I can’t find her! I got lost. Where’s mummy?” The child started crying again. Rose gently pulled the child closer and patted her ebony hair. “There, there. Your mother can’t be far along. Do you know where she might be?” “Mummy told me to n-never talk to anyone I don’t know.” Rose smiled sweetly. “Well, I’m Rose. And over there is Dave. There, now we know each other.” The girl let out a small giggle and whipped her eyes again. “My…my name is Emily Porter.” Rose shook Emily’s hand and said, “Well it is very nice to meet you Emily. So, do you know where your mother might be; a shop maybe. Or possibly the market or….” Emily’s eyes got wide as she jumped up and down with excitement. Dave watched in amazement how quickly her mood changed. “That’s it! I remember now: Mummy told me if I ever got lost to go to the church.” Rose looked back at Dave who had his hands deep in his pockets staring at the scene before him.  
“Dave, I hope you do not mind a short detour? It will just be a second, we aren’t that far.” Dave sighed; he hated the church and everyone in it. All of them were pompous pious fools in his eyes and he did not want anything to do with them. Nevertheless, he saw how much the child needed help. And the look on Rose’s face told him that she genuinely wanted to help this young girl. He scratched his head and said, “Yeah, let’s get this girl back to her mother.” Emily excitedly hopped up and gave Rose a big hug. “Come on Ms. Rose! Let’s go! Let’s go!” And the three of them went off towards the church. The walk lasted twelve minutes of their time but no one in the group seemed to mind. Dave watched happily as Rose interacted with Emily and how happy they both looked. Seeing this made him smile as they walked down the street, talking about all sorts of animals and story books. Soon enough, the church steeple was visible from where they were standing; they were just one block away now. Excited, Emily tugged Rose’s hand and told her to run with her. She complied happily and the two started to sprint. Rose quickly turned back to Dave and yelled, “Don’t be a toothache, Strider! Come on!” Dave shook his head with a smirk and broke off running, passing up the both of them. Seeing it as a competition, Emily prompted Rose to lift her upon her back to race the rest of the way. It wasn’t long before the two were in front of Dave and already at the church.  
“I let you win, you know.”  
“Sure, Dave, I believe you.”  
The church was a huge building that towered over the small homes of their town. It was a wooden building that looked like it has suffered many a storm and repair; the bell resting at the very top had several cracks in it and was tinted brown with erosion and rust. Dave took a deep breath and opened the large doors. Inside there was a small number of people; many of them women praying in the pews. The priest, gray haired and well fed, stood at the front of the church talking to a woman who was wearing a tattered coat and no shoes. There was one woman crying in front of a large statue of Jesus upon the holy cross. She was shaking and muttering a small prayer. Once Emily finally entered the building, her eyes lit up and ran to the crying woman. “Mummy…!” The woman turned around quickly and saw her daughter leap into her arms. The woman smiled, still crying, and held her child closely. Rose and Dave watched with a smile as the two were reunited. Dave looked around the church and noticed as the priest shooed the tattered woman away into the cold, the other women saying nothing of it. Disgusted, Dave turned to Rose and said, “Hey, I don’t do the church scene. I’ll be waiting outside.” Rose rolled her eyes and replied to him, “God bless.” With that he was gone. Rose turned back to the now happy family and felt a sense of satisfaction. “Who brought you here, my sweet?” the mother asked, rubbing her daughter’s hair. Emily looked happily at Rose and said, “Her; Ms. Rose did. She’s really nice and pretty and brought me all the way here!” Rose gave a small wave at the two. The mother’s expression changed at the drop of a hat when she saw just who brought Emily back. She told her daughter to stay put as she got up and walked over to Rose.  
“Hello ma’am. I saw your daughter in an alley and she told us to bring her here and….” “I don’t want to hear it! I don’t want my daughter being around the likes of you!” The woman spat at Rose. Rose, taken aback replied. “Um…I’m sorry? Ma’am, I brought your daughter back to you. She was cold and crying; does it really matter about the details?” The woman looked enraged by her comments. People in the church began to notice the confrontation, but said nothing. The woman turned her nose up and continued talking. “I’ve seen you, you know. Posting yourself in dark places at night, coaxing good hearted Christian men to your web of sin! Do you have no sense of decency? No shame?” Rose looked down at the ground. This wasn’t the first time she had heard this. Just like the other times, she let the words sink in. The woman just kept going as a small crowd gathered nearby. “You will burn in Hell for your sins, and the same goes to all who keep in contact with you. You were trying to corrupt my child weren’t you? Teaching her your ways have you?” Rose’s eyes stayed fixed on the ground. “No ma’am. I was just returning her.” “You lie…!” the woman interrupted. “You lying whore! Do you not see how much of a sinner you are?” Hearing a commotion, Dave poked his head in to see a crowd of angry woman surrounding Rose. “Oh Goddamit…!” Looking up with a calm demeanor, Rose answered. “Yes, ma’am, I do. I know very well what I am doing and it is a life choice that I will have to live with. I…I know that someday, God will forgive-!” Rose was interrupted by a mighty smack to the face. Dave, now angered ran inside and pushed his way into the crowd. The woman whipped her hand in a handkerchief and said, “It was God’s will. You have no right speaking of the Lord’s name; and you certainly have no place in this church.” Dave made his way to the center of the crowd, flustered. He saw that Rose had a single tear drop forming in her eye and she was breathing heavily. A large red mark took place in the dead center of her check. Anger took over and all sense was gone. “What the bloody hell is your problem? We brought back your fucking kid!” He woman closed her eyes and turned her back. “As I said: It was God’s will; he will see to it that this harlot gets the most gruesome of punishments. You seem to be a good man, you see to it that you repent for being in her company.” Dave balled his fist and gritted his teeth. “You ungrateful bitch…!” “Dave…just don’t.” Rose said in a small voice. “We’ll be leaving now.” Her expression stayed neutral, her eyes stayed to the ground. Dave tried to give a retort but saw no point. Rose looked over to Emily, who was now sad and on the verge of tears and gave the child a small smile. “You be safe now….” She said as she turned to leave. The woman however was not done. “Don’t you ever step foot in this church again, do you hear me?!” The priest came over, and placed his hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Now, now Mrs. Porter, there’s no need for violence. However,” He turned to Rose. “This does not excuse your actions. God will find a proper place in Hell for you. It is best that the two of you leave.” Dave looked at the priest, to the woman, and back again. Rose took hold of Dave’s sleeve and led him out the building. Looking back, she said to the priest, “God bless you father. And if your wife is ‘nagging you day in and day out’ again, you know where to find me.” The room was then filled with gasps and awkward air as Rose left the church with Dave following suit. The door closed strongly behind them as Rose stood in the middle of the street, head tilted to the sky and hand covering her eyes.  
“To Hell with the lot of them, Rose; you did the right thing. Of course I would’ve wailed on them. Good sense of self control there.” She said nothing to him. He walked around to the front of her and noticed she was muttering a prayer under her breath. Dave respectively stepped back and let her finish. She finished shortly and turned to Dave. “Um…we’d best be off, Dave. You know, hot meal and all that.” She had on a small smirk that told Dave she was faking her happiness and was actually very hurt. “Okay,” Dave started. “We aren’t far along now. Let’s keep walking.” The two walked in silence for the rest of the trip. When they made it to the Harlequin, Dave spread his arms out wide as if he was about to reveal the grand finale at a circus. “Ta-daa, I give you: The only tavern worth going to in this shithole!” Rose let out a laugh and eyed the building before her. It was small and looked like it needed a lot of work; several wooden planks were sloppily hanging along the outside and the “E” in the title was missing. No one really knew where it went. Dave just chalked it up to some drunken bum who likes to steal letters. He opened the door and gestured for Rose to come inside. “Ladies first….” Rose smiled at him and walked inside. Hearing the door open, John looked up from wiping the counter and laughed, “Whoa, Dave, what happened to you? Did you get into a fight with the whole town?” Several other men in the bar laughed loudly at the comment from their seats. The room was dimly lit but looked cozy enough. Some men in the back were playing chess while a few others were drinking and having a good time. Dave led Rose to the counter and pulled out the stool next to his for her. “And who is this?” John asked Dave with an eyebrow raised. “Put your eyebrow down, Egbert. She’s a friend of mine. Her name’s Rose. Got anything to eat here?” John looked under the counter for a quick second. He popped up and said with a straight face, “We’ve got meat.” “What kind of meat?” “Meat….” Dave just stared at him in irritation. He turned to Rose and asked, “You um….eat meat?” Rose nodded and kept looking around. As expected, men were staring at her with hungry eyes. It didn’t make her uncomfortable, but in the same token she did not appreciate it. John came back in about five minutes with two large plates of what looked like chicken but smelled like beef. Dave looked at it and said, “John, where did you find this thing?” John threw his towel at him and replied, “Ha, ha very funny, Dave! I think it’s mutton but I’m not too sure. You’ll never know what you’ll get with the meat venders around here.” “Man, I’ll just bring you some stuff from work. Shoot, Jade brings you stuff; I might as well do it too.” John smiled and scratched his head, blushing. “Well, thanks Dave. Actually, Jade’s gonna swing by in a few to drop off some lemons. They surprisingly taste good in vodka!” Dave lifted his food in the air and shouted, “I’ll eat to that!” The bar was once again filled with the howling laughter of drunken men.  
Dave turned to Rose who was eating quietly next to him. He could tell that she felt awkward being there and got a little concerned. “Hey, there’s no need to be shy; John’s good people. Aren’t you, John?” John nodded his head rapidly and added, “Yeah, I’m pretty nice. I mean, you’re really pretty and seem like you enjoy good friends. Why not be polite to you?” Rose cracked a small smile and nodded her head respectively. “Thank you. But, trust me; there is nothing nice about me.” “What do you mean?” Rose smirked and winked at the bartender. “Let’s just say I know my way around certain things.” John stood confused for a second but then, his eyes grew wide with clarity. He turned to Dave gave him a judging look. “I know what you’re thinking, John, so you can stop thinking it. I’m not that kind of fellow; I’m just helping out a friend.” John looked back at Rose and noticed she, too, had an injury. “Is that why you two look beat the hell up?” Dave and Rose looked at each other, and laughed. Rose stopped laughing long enough for her to answer. “John, it’s a very long involved story. I really hope that you have time.” John leaned on the counter, eagerly. “I am all ears, miss.”  
For the next hour, Rose and Dave explained how they met. Jade came in soon after and hit it off with Rose very well. It turned out Rose liked walking passed her shop in the springtime when everything smells it’s most vibrant. The four laughed and talked about all sorts of adventures that they’ve individually encountered. Jade talked about how she’s been to India over a million times, and John spoke on how he’s actually a good pastry chef. Dave talked about his painting and how rich they were going to make him, and Rose about her love of literature. They talked up until closing time and an hour after. Rose found herself coming out of her shell and enjoying the company of her new found friends. It was as if the events of earlier that night didn’t even happen. 

“….And it turned out there was no pumpkin at all! Isn’t that weird?” Jade said as she finished a tale about how her pumpkins keep disappearing. The group laughed loudly and happily. John soon looked at his pocket watch and saw how late it was. “Oh my, it’s about 3am!” Jade stretched and yawned, “Wow, time flies, right?” They all got up and prepared to leave. Before Dave said goodnight, he turned to John to say something, but was interrupted. “Let me guess, Dave: Put it on your tab?” Dave smiled and waved goodbye. “You know me all too well, John.” And with that, he and Rose stepped out onto the quiet streets of Amsterdam. Dave turned to Rose and asked, “Uh…did you have fun?” Rose nodded and crossed her arms. “Yes I did, Dave. You didn’t tell me you had such good friends.” “Well, they’re yours now, too. Now we’ve got a tight circle…or a square. Either or.” Rose laughed once more as they started walking toward Dave’s home. Once they got there, Dave turned to her looking concerned. “Are you going to be okay walking back by yourself? I mean, I don’t know how far you live and I don’t want to risk you getting hurt again.” Rose felt herself blushing and turned her head away. “As I told you before, I know how to take care of myself. You need not worry about my safety. However, I don’t want to be bailing you out of incarceration again.” Dave rubbed the back of his head and gave a small smirk. “Yeah, yeah, I hear you. I’d best be off to bed, though. I have to check if I’m still employed tomorrow.” He extended his hand for a handshake and Rose obliged. They found themselves holding hands a few seconds longer for the average handshake and stared at each other. Finding she was blushing again, Rose pulled her hand away and said, “I uh…had better be off as well. My work is never done.” Dave frowned, “But, it’s late. Even people in your line of work need sleep.” Rose stretched her arms and let out a small groan. “I sleep when the good of heart walk the earth. And when the sun goes down, that’s when I’m most active.” Dave put his hands in his pockets and looked to the ground. “Just…just be safe okay?” Rose nodded and turned to leave. She walked seven paces away when Dave yelled to her.  
“Rose!” She turned back, confused.  
“Yes?”  
“Will I see you again?”  
“What?”  
“I just enjoy your company that’s all. Can we see each other more often?”  
Rose hesitated. She looked at Dave and he had a look of sincerity on his face. He gave an inviting smirk and shrugged.  
“If you will to see me, then I will show my face when I can find it available. Now, goodnight Dave….”  
Dave smiled widely and returned the statement. He went inside his house and quickly fell asleep. Rose on the other hand, waited until he was completely indoors before making her long walk back to her usual postings. She walked for a good half mile to an area inhabited completely by thugs and drugged up residents. As she walked passed, several men yelled disgusting things at her. She just waved and continued on her journey. She walked and walked until she made it to a somewhat nicer part of their town. The houses were comparably bigger and the streetlamps shone brightly down the road. She made her way to one of her usual allies and waited. This particular part of town was filled with men who were willing to pay more handsomely than the ones back home. She waited for someone to walk past, but not just anyone would do; she mainly looked for men who had their collars up high, and their heads looking around cautiously. These were men with reputation, status, and more often than not, a wife and child at home. She, too, had to be unnoticed. Not all officers were crooked, surprisingly, and would have her sent off to prison for her crimes. But Rose Lalonde was a woman of above average intelligence. She stayed in areas that were dark, and wasn’t made visible until it was the right time. She waited for a few more minutes until a man with a high collar and a top hat approached her. He looked nervous and fidgety. The man looked Rose up and down and said, “I guess you’ll do for now.” Rose smirked at him and replied, “I’m not what you’re looking for? Pity; I walked all this way.” The man smiled wickedly at her and licked his lips. “Hmm…you’ve got a smart tongue on you. I’ll guess I’ll try you on. Come with me, whore.” Rose followed close behind him to his place where she did what she did best. All the while, however, she couldn’t get her mind off of Dave and the night they had shared.


	3. Drugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose feels down and does what she does best.

   When the church bell rang loudly at the crack of dawn, Rose almost immediately made her way back home. She walked lifelessly to her small house not too far from the church. The house was unnoticeable behind local establishments and crowds of people. Rose liked it that way; if no one knew where she lived, no one could hurl rocks through her window or, worse, burn it down. She entered her home and kicked off her boots. Her home was small, but spacious. At the far corner of her living room was an unlit fireplace, next to that was a book shelf filled with many books. The books had many topics; psychology, social science, fantasy, and mythology. But in an armchair by the fireplace was a worn bible. It was given to her by an old woman that used to take care of her. Despite her life choices, she never shunned Rose or called her out her name. Rose never touched the book; she was never one to sit down and actually read the scripture when the priest did it every Sunday. So she left it be, only picking it up to move it from her chair. She walked to the bathroom to run herself a hot bath. Unlike the other prostitutes in the town, she kept herself clean and professional once the night was done. As the water filled the small tub, she reached in her cleavage and pulled out a large amount of money and placed it in a locked box inside of a drawer. Once the bath was ready, she stripped and got in. The hot water stung against her sore privates, causing her to shutter. It hurt her to no end but it was the only way to cleanse her from the night before. She closed her eyes and sighed as she slowly lowered herself into the water and stayed there for twenty minutes then got into her bed. She curled up in a small ball under her big thick covers and drifted off to sleep, completely warn and exhausted. Rose slept for hours; by the time she woke it was already one o’clock in the afternoon. She rose and looked out the window. The streets seemed busy enough to where she could walk around without being seen. She put on one of her more respectable dresses along with a hooded cloak and stepped out into the world. The scene was dull as usual; everyone looked as if they were depressed and sick. Recent years have brought new illnesses to the area, causing the population to steadily decline. The ones hit the hardest were children, the elderly, and the poor.  
   She made her way through the crowded streets, unseen by the citizens hastily making their way through town. During the day, Rose kept her hood on to avoid people recognizing who she was. Although, on the off chance that someone did see her under her hood, they would give her a hard bump. People have been known to call her a whore as they muscled their way passed her. She was often tripped, pelted with rocks, and on one rainy day, stabbed in the side. Knowing no doctor would heal her, she was placed in the care of local prostitutes who knew her and had her back. All of the prostitutes in town stuck together when it came to being abused and being sick. They often housed one another and bought or stole food in case the other was hungry. It was a close network of trust and companionship, and most of all, the only real family Rose had ever really known. Being older, they taught her the ropes and how to rake in the most cash. They taught her the importance of never forgetting who she really is and to never, ever get too close to any man. Over time, however, some of the prostitutes began to disappear from Rose’s life. Some of them ended up dying from tuberculosis, many from various STD’s. But sadly enough, the majority were brutally murdered on the street, raped, kidnapped, succumb to opium addiction, or committed suicide. One by one, Rose’s makeshift family was leaving her, making her completely alone in the world. The streets were now occupied by new prostitutes; ones that despised Rose. They hated how she had more experience, more appeal, and more class. The new blood on the streets were younger, no more than sixteen, and were doing things that Rose never dreamed of doing at such an age. Times were changing, and changing fast.  
Rose walked all the way to a run-down shop at the edge of the main square. It was not very good to look at, as rats ran in and out of it often and there was an old woman shaking violently right outside. She noticed Rose walking closer to the building and ran towards her.  
“M-miss…Miss! Oh please, spare a shilling or two. I need my….my elixir, I do! Nearly ran out.” Rose rolled her eyes and gave her a few silver coins. “Every time I come here, I see you. And every time you run out of your drugs. I’m sure I’ve given you enough money to start your own business.” Rose said to the woman as she muttered to herself, not listening. “Did you see that, Timothy? The kind kitty gave mummy some money for her medicine. What a lovely kitty. Such a lovely, lovely creature….” The woman disappeared into an alley, leaving Rose dumbstruck. She shook her head and carried on about her business. She walked into the shop and took her hood off. “Is anyone here?” she asked as she took off her hood. After a loud assortment of banging, swearing and crashing, a crazy haired man stumbled from a back room. The man was tall and lanky. His hair pitch black and sticking out at all ends. He looked tired with his glossy reddish eyes. He sported clothes that looked way too big for him and a scar going diagonally across his face. He leaned over the counter with a goofy smile on his face looking at Rose happily. “Well, well, well! Looks like little Miss. Lalonde has come by for a visit! Lemme guess, you wanted to buy a hat? I’ve got all sorts of hats!” Rose folded her arms and looked at him seriously. “No thank you, I’ll have to decline.” He smiled slyly and licked his crooked teeth. “I know, you’re feelin’ lonely again and need someone to spend some time with, if you know what I mean?” Rose stepped closer and gave him the most threatening look.  
“Mr. Makara, you know exactly what I’m here for. I don’t want to have to take my business elsewhere.”  
“Fine, fine, I get it! So demanding this day, aren’t we?”  
“I…had a rough night.”  
“Wanna chat?”  
“Not at all….”  
“Fine, just gimme the fifty pounds and you can be on your way.”  
Rose went into her pocket and retrieved 50 pounds. She handed them to Mr. Makara and he stashed it away in a locked box.  
“Okay so you know the deal. If you pass out, it’s not my problem if someone wants to point you with something phallic.” He went to a space in the wall next to a wide assortment of pastries and knocked a tuned. Two seconds later, the wall opened up. He gestured for Rose to go in and said, “I’m giving you two hours. Think that’s enough?” Rose nodded and stepped inside. He closed the wall behind her and continued on with his life. Rose walked down a dark narrow hallway until she found herself in a dimly lit room cover with pillows. There were about twenty people in the room. Two or three of them were participated in an orgy, five were passed out, and one man was raping an unconscious woman, while the rest just sat in a dreamlike state. The one thing all these people had in common was that they were all high on opium. The air was thick with smoke and the bad smell of the drug. Everyone in the room was far gone and unaware of their actions. Rose eased her way to a Chinese man in the corner and he gave her a pipe full of the drug. She bowed respectively and made her way to the darkest part of the room. She took off her cloak and sat down on it. She took a few good puffs from the pipe and leaned against the wall behind her. It did not take long for the drug to take effect and making Rose completely out of it. She no longer had worries and problems. She felt as if she was floating high above the city. She was suddenly running along a rainy field. There where deer and goats everywhere, prancing and rolling around. Suddenly, the field was in a blaze and the animals decayed right before her eyes. She felt herself suffocating and her skin felt like it was being torn off. She screamed but no one was around to hear her. She suddenly saw monsters running toward her but she could not run. The monsters then ripped her limb from limb, violating her and stabbing her with sharp swords. She screamed but she could not hear herself scream. It was muffled and incomprehensible.  
    Suddenly, she felt several strong jolts. A loud voice called her name over and over again. The voice was familiar and inviting and pulled her in.  
“Dave…?” A face blurry face appeared in front of her. The face, to her dismay, turned out to be Mr. Makara shaking her violently. She snapped out of her high and looked around confused and sweaty. Half of the original people who occupied the room were gone, leaving the room half empty. “Hey, Rose, your two hours are up, sister! And who the hell is Dave?” Mr. Makara said to her as she tried to pull herself back together. “No one, it’s no one.” She picked up her belongings and handed him the now empty pipe. “What the hell did you put in this?” “Oh nothing really just some other stuff. I’m guessing you had a bad trip. Usually, you just pass out with a goofy look on your face.” Rose rolled her eyes and continued to sort herself out. She turned to Mr. Makara and said, “Well, whatever it was, it was not what I wanted. But I feel that I might need it again.” She made her way toward the door as she fixed her hair. “What time is it?” She asked her companion. “It’s about four.” He lit a cigarette and sat behind his counter. “It was a real pleasure doing business, as always, Miss. Lalonde.” Mr. Makara blew her a kiss as she hastily made her way out of the door. Rose walked to a nearby fountain and flushed her face. Snapping back into reality, she sat down and collected her thoughts. From where she sat, she could see the large clock tower that was located in the middle of town; it was a quarter past four. She buried her face in her hands and sighed deeply. “…Goddamit….” She said as she got up and began making her way back into town. Because she was still a little woozy, it was going to take quite a while to get to her destination.  
   At the age of seventeen, Rose tried opium for the first time. It was a rainy night and she had just finished her first night as a prostitute-it did not go well. She was covered in bruises, her hair was a mess, and she found her dress covered in various bodily fluids. She went in thinking that it would be easy, saying she was smart enough to know what to do in case the worst happens; she was mistaken. A man took complete control over her, holding her down and hurting her whole body. He then took it upon his self to harm her if she cried out in pain or told him to stop. This was her first sexual experience. Innocence taken, she walked the streets. She had no home to go to, no friends whatsoever so she walked. She walked a good mile until her feet gave in and she collapsed by a group of prostitutes. They saw she was in danger so they took her inside a nearby shop. They cleaned her up and let her have some opium. “It will make all your troubles go away.” One said to her. Since then, Rose has had a lot of “troubles”. She didn’t do it often, only when she needed to. Only at her absolute worst did she indulge in the deadly drug. She knew good and well that she had a problem; she knew she wasn’t perfect and she was absolutely okay with it. Sometimes, she needed it to get through the day. At times, she would do her job doped up; she found that it was better to be numb than anything else while she did it. Other times she used when she had repressed memories from her youth. Dealing with an alcoholic mother and a deadbeat father was enough to drive anyone mad. Most of all, she did it because she was depressed. She thought it could be her escape from the hell that she was forced to face every day. But she was confused; she was not depressed, she was not having bad memories. Why did she do it? She did not know.  
  The blonde woman walked for an hour and found herself at the docks. Seeing how empty it was, she took it upon herself to sit along the water’s edge and think. She closed her eyes and put her head down in her folded arms. It was quiet. She had a slight headache pounding her right temple that made her wince every now and again. But the quiet was what she was after. She took a deep breath; she was at peace. The waves crashed gently across the rocks and the gulls squawked feet away. She was comfortable, she was happy, she was….

  
“Hey! Rose! Is that you? Rose!!”

   She snapped up at looked behind her to find Dave standing at the docks waving at her. She couldn’t help but smirk slightly at the sight of him jumping up and down trying to get her attention. She waved back at the crazed man and he ran over. When he got to her, he was out of breath and had his hands on his knees. “R…Rose! Good news: I can keep…my job. The boss heard me out and…..” He began coughing from lack of air and sat down. “Dave, please take your time. I don’t need you dying on me, now.” Rose said as she patted him on the back. He laughed as he finally caught his breath and stood up. “You would love that, wouldn’t you? Anyway, I get to keep my job. I told the boss the whole story and he understood. He even gave me some hazard pay so I would stay quiet about the whole event; something about reputation and a whole lot of other nonsensical malarkey.” The two began to walk along the shoreline as Dave spoke about the events that took place in his day. He mentioned how he got to meet some American men who were delivering some of their fish over. He had to admit, he was impressed on how friendly the Americans were. Despite what he had heard about them, they were actually very nice. Rose was happy now; she was glad to be in Dave’s company and not stuck in her crazed thoughts again. She really considered him as a close friend.  
  "Hey, Rose,” Dave began as they stopped for an oncoming cart. “I was wondering if you wanted to spend time.” Rose looked up at him. Because his glasses were still broken, he was not wearing them. This was the first time Rose was able to look into his eyes and see how vibrantly red they were. They were bright and honest. Looking closely she could still see his facial bruises from the night before. She felt herself blushing and turned away. “Dave, we’re already doing that.” Dave chuckled and scratched his head. “No, no that’s not what I meant. I mean like last night, only without being arrested and beaten to a pulp. I mean me and you, probably going out for a nice dinner and well…talk.” Rose narrowed her eyes at him with suspicion. “What’s the catch, Dave?” “No catch at all! It’s just, well, we had a lot of fun yesterday and I’d like to get to know you more. Hell, I was actually not expecting to see you today. Seeing as you’re nocturnal, that is.” Rose looked at the ground. She really wanted to go out with him and she thought she could use some fun in her life. After weighing her options, she looked up confidently at Dave. “Mr. Strider, I will take you up on your offer. But I ask that you allow me one hour to get ready. I will arrive at your flat at seven o’clock sharp! Agreed?” Dave laughed and let out his hand for a shake. Rose shook back with a smile. “It’s a date then, Rose! Er…but not a date…just a time out between to friends. Um…See you at seven, Rose.” He waved goodbye and walked away in the opposite direction of her. She chuckled to herself and made her way home.


	4. Night on the Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date Night!!

   The time was six thirty in the evening as Dave hastily ran around his home trying to find a clean shirt. Home cluttered with clothes and canvases, he found a clean shirt and buttoned it on. He then took the time to clean up his house- meaning he just leaned against the wall in a corner. He checked his pocket watch and saw that he was ahead of schedule. He took it upon himself to start painting a large pumpkin Jade had given him. He actually hated pumpkins, but he enjoyed sketching them. As he painted the large orange vegetable, he heard a gentle knock on his door. He snapped up and looked towards the door. “Rose!” He ran over to the door and flung it open.  Standing in front of him in mid knock was a beautifully dressed Rose Lalonde. She wore an orange dress with yellow trim with a matching hooded cloak. On her head, she wore a sky blue headband with her signature black lipstick. The dress made her figure stand out and it complimented her skin tone perfectly. Dave stood frozen looking at her, wide eyed and dazed. She looked at him with a confused look and cleared her throat. “Dave, I know you find whatever you’re looking at to be _very_ interesting. But it is quite chilly this night. May I please come in?” Dave nodded quickly and let her enter. As Dave closed the door, Rose took notice to how small and messy his home was. Canvas upon canvas, and balled up paper upon balled up paper laid on the ground. It was a pretty big mess. She turned to him and smiled, “Interesting home you have here, Strider. It screams loudly of Dave.” Dave rolled his eyes and quickly tucked in his shirt. “I didn’t expect you to come so early, Rose.” Rose chuckled and pulled out her pocket watch on a chain. She showed it to Dave and said, “Seven o’clock _sharp_!” Dave shook his head with a smile. He walked towards Rose and took her cloak to hang up. “Well, I’m almost done here. Give me a second, okay? There’s a seat right there if you wanna sit down.” Rose made her way to a stitched up armchair in the middle of the room. It was not all that attractive to look at, but Rose found it to be surprisingly comfortable. She took time to look around some more and noticed Dave’s unfinished paintings and sketches.

“You’re an artist?”

“Heh, if you could call it that.” Dave said as he whipped his hands off and combed his hair.

“You haven’t finished most of them.”

“…I know….”

“May I ask why?

“I just haven’t been inspired, that’s all. Look, I’m ready. Let’s go, I have somewhere I wanna take you.”

   With that, the pair exited the small home and made their way outside. They walked ten minutes to a pub with a big green sign that read O’Malley’s. Dave looked at Rose and said with a smirk, “I made just enough to take you out for dinner. That is, if it’s okay with you.” “Well, you already have me here. Why not enjoy the night?” Rose replied as she walked towards the door. Dave ran to it and politely opened it for her and they both walked in. The setting was lively and colorful; a band sat in the corner playing a happy Irish tune as men and women sit at tables and ate their meals. Dave and Rose made their way to a table and sat down. A waitress quickly came over to them and asked to take their order. After getting it, she walked to the back of the pub to get their meal. Dave turned to look at Rose and saw her smiling happily. He laughed and said, “You seem to be enjoying yourself.” Rose shrugged and replied, “I never go to places like this. And, I don’t know, it seems nice.” Dave leaned in and Rose leaned in as well.

“Yes, Mr. Strider?”

“Well, tell me about yourself. There are still some things I don’t know about you and I’d like to find those things out.”

   Rose sat back and sighed. She crossed her arms and replied, “What would you like to know?” Their plates of food and glasses of liquor arrived shortly. Dave, taking a sip from his glass, asked, “Tell me about your interests. A woman like you should have some interest.” Rose took a bite from her meat pie and sighed. She was silent for a minute then spoke. “I have always loved the violin. It’s been an interest of mine since I was only thirteen. Let’s see, I like cats. I enjoy walks in the rain. And I love reading. Would you like my dental records and keys to my home?” Dave laughed, “No, I’m good.”

   Dave looked around the bar and noticed that men were staring at Rose again. He found himself getting uneasy about it. “Rose, they’re staring at you again.” Rose’s eyes stayed fixed on her meal and replied with a small voice, “That’s because they know me, Dave. I see now that some of them look pretty familiar.” Dave frowned and glanced around once more. “What, they think you’re working?” “More than likely….” The two ate in silence for the next few minutes, with only the sound of light chewing coming from their mouths.  Suddenly, the band in the corner started playing an upbeat folk tune that had many people get up and dance. The pub patrons danced happily at the center of the small dance floor. Most of them elderly couples and drunken men, they all seemed to be having a good time. Dave glanced over at Rose and saw that she was still staring down into her food. He then smiled at her and got to his feet. Rose then noticed a familiar hand reaching out to her. She looked up and saw Dave holding his hand out and smiling. “Come on, Rose.” He said. Rose looked at his hand and back to him. “Where are we going?” “We, my humble companion, are going to dance.” Rose chuckled and shook her head at him. “I’m sorry. I can’t….” She said, waving her hand. Dave took her hand and gently pulled her up. “Come on! You said you never get to do anything like this!” Rose looked into Dave’s eyes and saw that he was once again sincere. She sighed so hard it caused her bangs to float gently over her face. “Okay, I’ll go.” “Great!” And he led her to the center. When they got there, Dave asked Rose if she knew anything about dancing. She nodded and put a hand on his shoulder. He then took her hand and the two started to do a jig.  The other customers took notice and began to clap and cheer in time of the music.  Dave and Rose began to smile and laugh at how silly they might have looked.

   “I must say, Dave,” Rose started as she danced in a small circle around Dave as he clapped his hands in tune to the music. “You are quite a nice dancer.” “Well, when you get as drunk as I do, you tend to learn.” He replied as he spun her around. “You’re pretty good yourself!” He spun her around in a small circle, causing her balance and trip. He quickly caught her before she hit the ground, his left hand firmly on her waist and the right hand locked tightly in hers. Her face was very close to his, her breast lightly pressed against him. They were soft but and round against his chest. The both of them were close enough to the point where he could see all her facial features; the bright orchid color of her eyes, the smoothness of her skin, and the juiciness of her shining lips. He felt his heart beat faster and faster the longer their eyes met.  Rose looked back at him and had similar symptoms. She stayed fixed on his bright eyes, parted lips and bright hair falling slightly to the left of his face. She found it increasingly hard to turn away from him the longer they stayed transfixed. They were so focused on each other; it took them a while to realize the crowd of people cheering them on. Rose quickly pulled herself from Dave and straightened herself. Dave turned his glance from her and said, “Uh, good dance.” Rose nodded in agreement. They stood awkwardly on the dance floor as a new tune played and other people began dancing. Eventually they made their way back to their table and continued their silence. Dave forked his food around and sipped his drink. Rose stared at him every few seconds. She fidgeted for a while until she summed up the courage to finally speak.

“So….your paintings….”

“What about them?” Dave asked mouth full of his meat pie.

“Just tell me about them. The ones that I saw were pretty interesting. Why haven’t you finished them?”

   Dave leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, I not all that inspired. Nothing has really caught my eye and made me want to create things. Sure I can sketch produce until I’m blue in the face but that won’t really matter. What I need is something spectacular that’s worth putting on a canvas. So far I’ve found nothing, though.” Rose looked concerning towards Dave, feeling sorry for him and his troubles. “I’m…sorry to hear that.” Dave chuckled weakly and gave her a smile. “Hey don’t sweat it. It happens; the life of an artist is a hard one.” Rose smirked slightly and took a long sip from her drink. Dave watched her as she drank; she sported a look that said she was pleased with the evening but at the same time, she was holding back some anxieties. The two finished their meal after a while, paid, and headed outside. The air was not as cold as it was earlier in the day, as it was almost the end of March. They decided to walk along the quiet streets and talk. The two of them laughed and joked as they told each other stories of the things they saw in everyday life. They had fun; the pair of them both agreed that they could use a good laugh. They walked until they made their way to a small park. It was dimly lit and had a cobble stone trail leading all the way to the other side of the park. Dave gestured for them to have a sit on one of the white benches and Rose complied. As they sat, the two were silent. Rose pattered her thumbs together while Dave messed with a small hole he found in his coat. It was an awkward air.

  “Rose can I ask you something?” Dave asked, not looking at her. Rose turned to him and said, “I don’t see why not.” He took a deep breath and replied, “Why are you…why do you do the…How do I want to say this? How come you’re…?” “…a prostitute?” Rose finished for him. Blushing, Dave nodded his head slowly. “Yeah, that. It seems like you’re the kind of woman with more to offer.” Rose looked up to the sky and sighed. “It’s a long story, Dave. Do you have time to hear it?” Dave nodded again. She smiled and cleared her throat. “Well, you can say it all came from a messed up past. You see, my mother was an alcoholic and my father…well you know how it is. He didn’t want kids in the first place but well, these things happen. He resented me so I often was beaten; half the time I did nothing wrong. My mother, trying her best to please her husband never said a word on the matter. My mother, at one time, was a beautiful woman. But she was depressed about how her life was, so she turned to alcohol. One night, she came home completely off her rocker and passed out in her room. My dear father took it upon himself to spend ‘quality time’ with me. When I told my mother about it, she confronted my father who denied the accusations. She accused me of being a liar and called me nothing but a whore. I was only seven.  At the age of thirteen, my father died, leaving me and my mother to fend for ourselves. Money was scarce, we were poor, and had nowhere to turn. My mother often blamed me for our troubles, saying that if I wasn’t born things would be easier. I just ate it all up. After a while, I stopped going to school and stayed home to help out. I made a small amount of money as a maid for a short time, but I lost the job when the owner of the house died. Around when I was seventeen, my mother kicked me out; she couldn’t deal with me anymore and sent me out on my own with nothing but the clothes on my back and an empty stomach. It was then I realized that I wasn’t worth much and decided to sell my body. I had no other options and nowhere else to go. And I hated myself for it; in a way I still do. I know I can do better but, well, life isn’t that simple.”

  Dave looked at her and let out a sigh. She looked alright on the outside, but in her eyes he could see tears forming. “Rose, I….” “Don’t worry about it; these things happen. I mean, I was able to buy my own house, I’m void of any venereal diseases, and you could say I’m a little happy.”  Dave cocked his head and narrowed his eyes at her. “Rose, you don’t look happy. I can see it on your face.” She turned away from him and stood to her feet. “Look, it’s nothing you should be concerned about; not saying I don’t appreciate it, though. You’re not going to get all preachy on me are you, Strider?” Dave stood and faced her with a sincere and trusting expression. “No; I can’t tell you what to do, Rose. You do what you got to do. My thing is, be careful while you’re doing it.”

  Rose felt strange. Her chest felt jumpy and she felt very light. She could feel her temperature rising and her face steadily turning red. Dave stared at her with confusion and asked, “Uh…you okay there?” “Y-yeah I’m fine it’s just…” “Someone actually cares about you?” She nodded. Dave chuckled quietly and patted her on the shoulder. “C’mon, Rose. I’ll walk you home for a change.” With that, the two walked off into the night. As they walked Rose pointed to the direction of her home and they made their way towards it. It was a calm walk back; the air was filled with sea breeze wafting from the ocean. Rose led him in an intellectual discussion about the economic decline of their area and how the politicians are doing nothing for the people. When they made it to their destination, they awkwardly turned to each other and chuckled nervously.

“Before you say anything, Strider, you will definitely see me again.” Rose said coolly, breaking the silence. Dave scoffed and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Damn, Lalonde, say it like that and it sounds like I actually want you around.” They shared one more laugh as Dave looked around at his surroundings. He saw that it looked familiar and that it was not too far from his own place. “Hey, Rose. I never knew you lived this close to me; can’t be more than a few kilometers.” Rose pulled her key from her cleavage and replied, “And let’s keep that between us, okay. The very last thing I need is rocks and fire flying through my windows.” Dave nodded and made a zipping motion in front of his mouth. Rose opened her door and stepped in. She turned back to Dave with a raised eyebrow. Dave looked back at her with confusion.

“What?”

“Well?”

“’Well’ what...?”

“Are you going to stand outside forever or are you coming in for a drink?”

   Dave’s eyes widened and he blushed. He stammered incomprehensibly for a few seconds until Rose interrupted him dryly. “I’m not planning to do anything with you Dave. I would just like a quick brandy with my good friend Mr. Strider. Is that okay?” Dave fixed himself and walked inside. He found that Rose’s home was much nicer. It was apparent that she actually put effort into making her home look presentable. It made him jealous but, he we was not surprised. She brought him a glass of the rust brown liquid and he took it with a smile. “You have a nice home, Rose. I must say I’m impressed.” Rose sat down in her armchair and crossed her legs. “Why, thank you, Dave. I work hard for the things that I have. I take pride in keeping a nice household. Please, take a seat.” He took a seat in the armchair opposite Rose and had a sip from his cup. The drink was warm, as if it had been sitting out for some time. It was strong and made Dave cringe a little. Rose saw his expression and laughed, “Can’t handle your liquor, sailor?” He coughed a couple of times then laughed, whipping his mouth. “Oh, shut it!” The two laughed and finished their beverages. It was going on midnight when Dave decided he should start on home. He walked to the door and turned back to Rose. “Hey,” He started, hands in his pockets looking concerned. “You’re not…going out are you?” Rose grinned at him. “No, I’m not. That would honestly be a terrible end to such a great evening. And before you ask, yes, you will see me again. I like spending time with you as well. Now please, get home before you get yourself into some trouble.” Dave smiled down at her and said goodbye. Closing the door behind him, Rose sighed deeply and made her way to bed. 

 

 


	5. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get very bad now. WARNING! READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!

 The next morning, Dave woke up feeling very happy. This was new to him. He hadn’t woken up that happy in a while. He liked this feeling and decided to be happy for the rest of the day. He jumped out of bed, combed his hair and put on clothes, and went outside. He found himself eagerly running to the Harlequin to tell John about the night he had with Rose. He burst into the door with a giant grin on his face.

 “John! John!” John looked up at him from behind the counter shocked. “What’s wrong? Is there a fire?” Dave laughed and made his way to the counter. He sat down in his usual stool and leaned in. John looked at him and mockingly took his temperature. “Hmm, you don’t appear sick. But maybe I should double check.” He pulled out a giant bottle of rum and slammed it on the table. “Okay, Dave. Bend over.” Dave shoved his friend and laughed. “Come off it, Egbert! I have great news! Me and Rose went out yesterday and I feel, like, really happy about it! There is no amount of chains or rope that can hold my glee! Look it, I’m shaking! We went for a meal and we walked. She’s a really good dancer and, she’s exceptionally smart!” John stared at Dave for a minute and grinned, chuckling to himself. The chuckling soon turned to laughing as he grabbed a broom and started sweeping the tavern. “What’s so funny?” Dave asked, following him to where he was. John laughed again and pointed at him. “You love her don’t you?” Dave whacked John’s hand away and spat, “The hell I don’t! I just had a lot of fun with her yesterday, that’s all.” “Then why the hell are you blushing, Dave?” Dave turned away and coughed, “Uh…I’m sick.” John rolled his eyes at his friend and walked away. Whipping a table down with a rag, he said, friendlily, “It’s okay if you have feelings, Dave. I mean, I don’t blame you; Ms. Lalonde sure is pretty. Her hair, her eyes, her cute little a-““Okay, I get it; she’s attractive! Can we move on?” Dave sat at a table and folded his arms. John joined him when he was done cleaning and gave him a glass of cider. “It’s weird, John.” Dave said as he drank. “I feel glad as hell and I don’t know why.” John put his hand on his chin and thought.

“Well, Dave, how often do you think about her?”

“I only really think about Rose when I worry about her,”

“And how often do you worry?”

 “Too much….” He slammed his head on the table. John patted him on his back. “There, there Dave.”  Dave sighed and turned his head toward his friend. He looked as if he was going to cry like a small child. “If it makes you feel better, Dave, Jade fixed your glasses. Here….” He handed him his now repaired sunglasses and smiled. Dave put them on and smiled at John. “Thanks, man. I needed these; it’s getting warmer and that means more sun.”  The too shared a loud laugh together that made Dave nearly spill his drink. John got up to finish cleaning and turned back to Dave. “But hey, just because you worry about her that doesn’t mean you actually _love_ her. It just means you care for a friend. It was just a jest, mate.” Dave got up and stretched. He headed toward John and patted him on the shoulder. “Thank you, John. Your words mean a lot. Luckily, I have the day off; Seamus is still sore about what happened with the coppers so he gave me the weekend off.” John whipped a glass and put it on the rack under the counter. He then sat down and poured himself some water. Dave looked close at his friend and saw that he looked tired, as if he had suffered many a sleepless night. Dave leaned close to John and asked, “Hey, man¸ how’s business?” “Ugh, it’s okay but could be better. You’d think with all the depressing stuff going on, they’d drink more. But alas, my busiest time would have to be around seven.” Dave scratched his head and gave John a friendly shove. “Hard times all around I see. Hey, I need to get some new canvases. How’s about you come with me; it’ll be fun.” John smiled up at Dave and nodded. The two friends then left the bar and made their way to the busy shopping district.

  As Dave and John walked, they talked about all of their old adventures and different happenings in town. They took time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the town; taking in the smell of the small bakery, the sight of the crowds of people hastily walking around from shop to shop, and the chatter of gossip rising from the  women shopping for dresses. They made their way to an art supplies shop and purchased four large canvases, and a few pens. As they were leaving, the shopkeeper called to them, “Hey, you boys be careful out there; the consumption is going around.” Dave and John turned to face him. “We already know that, sir. Don’t worry about us, we’re pretty healthy.” John said with a smirk, Dave nodded in agreement. “You may say that, but, with all these whores running around you’ll never know what you’ll get. Just last week, Mr. Jones died of an infection he got from one of those women.” Dave narrowed his eyes at the man, wanting to say something, but John cut him off by saying, “We’ll take your warning to heart, sir! C’mon now, Dave, we have things to do.” They walked out the store, Dave frowning. John shrugged at him and said, “Hey now, he wasn’t talking about Rose. I mean, she seems pretty clean. These other prostitutes around here though….” Dave sighed deeply and replied, “Well, you’ve got a point. Hey, I’m gonna go home and do some painting. I saw a broken down cart the other day that looked pretty good.” “Great! Will I be seeing you round the Harlequin later?” Dave nodded and the two shook hands. They went in opposite directions to their respected places.

  Dave decided to take the long way home, as it was a fairly nice day and he felt like walking. Where he was happened to be a very shady part of town; a few drug users kept their eyes on him while he walked, other completely ignored him and focused on their high. As he walked, he saw three prostitutes standing outside a boarded up house smoking cigarettes and talking. They looked at least five years younger than Dave. It surprised him on how young prostitutes were getting these days. One of them took notice of him and pointed him out to the others. They gave each other serious looks and made their way to him.

“Aye, you Blondie”, one of them said as they neared Dave, twisting her ginger hair around her finger.

“Hey, I’m not interested. I ain’t that kind of bloke.” Dave replied.

“Oh please. We need to talk to you. You know, we’ve seen you around here walking back and forth with… _her._ ”

  Dave gave the girls a confused expression and cocked his head. The blonde girl stepped forward and blew smoke in his face, causing him to cough. “You’re a sailor aren’t you? That would a lot of sense.” Dave eyed the three of them; all were obvious heroin addicts, skinny and dark eyed. They were young, probably came from good families. Why they wanted to throw their lives away like that, Dave did not know. He turned his eyes away from them and answered, “Ex sailor. And what does it matter? What sense is being made right now?” The girls laughed at him and inched closer. He felt himself getting more and more uncomfortable as the altercation progressed. The final girl, a brunette with a black eye and a chipped tooth spoke up. “You know who we’re talking about; the whore that stays around the nice parts of town and is only out at night. We know that you’re funding her well, along with every other man in this shithole. So tell us, how much are you giving her?” Dave had finally figured it out and stepped farther from them, they followed. “Wait, do you mean Rose? I don’t give her anything. Hell, I don’t even have anything to give. Even so, what does it matter that we spend time together? I’m not shagging her or anything; we just enjoy each other’s company.” The blonde girl got in his face and poked a boney finger in his chest. “That’s a lie! For your information, she’s taking our business. That’s just disrespectful.” “Hey back off!” Dave said, lightly shoving the girl away from him. She then started kicking him and yelling obscenities at him. The others soon joined in. All Dave could do is block the blows and try to shove them off of him. It was a loud assortment of yelling and scratching. He didn’t want to hit them back; he just wasn’t the kind of man to put his hands on a woman. Covering his eyes to avoid the girls’ vicious blows, it took him a second to realize that the abuse suddenly stopped.

“What are you playing at, bitch?” Hissed one of the girls

  “You girls should really learn to respect your elders.” A familiar voice said from in front of Dave. When he uncovered his eyes, he saw Rose standing in between him and the young prostitutes. She had her arms folded and a stern look on her face. Dave wasn’t sure if he had ever seen her so serious. She looked back at him and asked if he was alright, he nodded. She then turned back to the girls and said to them, “What’s going on here? Is there a reason why you’re assaulting this man?” The blonde girl stepped closer to her and put her hands on her hips. The girl was a tad bit shorter than Rose. They looked as if they could be the same size if they weren’t wearing heels. “That is none of your business! We’re tired of you taking all of the work around here!” “Really; is this what this is about? If you ask me, what you are doing is quite pathetic of you.” The girl scoffed and looked Rose up and down. “You make me sick to my stomach. You’re old news and washed up, yet you try to keep up with us younger girls and that will only lead to you being dead.” Rose shook her head with a chuckle and replied, “Listen, I was you once; all of you. Four years ago, things were unbearable for me and my family. This was my only option. But there is still time for you to make a change. There’s a chance for you girls; I would know.” The ginger girl spat down at Rose’s shoes and barked, “We don’t need any help, yeah? So bugger off.” The three young women muffed past Rose, bumping her hard in her shoulders. Dave opened his mouth to say something, but Rose just shook her head, telling him that it was no use. She stepped to him and examined him with a concerning gaze. “They didn’t hurt you too bad did they, Dave?” She picked up his hand and turned it around, examining it for wounds. Dave looked down at her with raised eyebrows and said, “Rose, I’m fine. Really, I’ll be okay. It was nothing.” He looked at his hand in hers and gulped. They met eyes as Rose stroked the back of his hand slowly and softly; she blushed with parted lips. She took notice and stepped away, eyes focused on the cobblestone ground. She looked tired; there were bags under her eyes that were puffy and dark. She had a bit of sweat on her brow even though the air was cool. Dave was now concerned.

“Rose…?”

“Yes, Dave?”

“Are you alright? You look dead.” Dave stepped closer and looked at her again. She took another step back. “I’m fine Dave. There is no need to worry about me.” Dave scoffed at her placing a hand on his hip. “That’s a double standard, Lalonde. Look, where are you off to?” Rose rubbed her arm up and down and said quietly, “Nowhere, really.” “Well good! Come on, you’re taking a bath and a nap.” He took her hand and they made their way towards Dave’s home, Rose protesting all the way.

  Once in his flat, Dave ran Rose a hot bath and tossed her a towel. “Here you are, take as long as you need. Uh, bed’s right there if you need to sleep. I don’t have shit to eat in here so don’t ask.” Rose chuckled and made her way to the bathroom. Dave then picked up his newly bought canvases and started to stare at it. He told himself if he had new canvases, he would instantly have something to paint. He was more wrong than he had ever been in his whole life. From the bathroom, Rose called to him, “Dave, your bathtub is rather small.” Dave rolled his eyes and called back to her. “Well, I’m sorry Victoria. I am but a humble peasant. If you want a nicer one, I can call a carriage for malady.” “That won’t be necessary, Dave. I was merely teasing.” Dave laughed and went back to his canvas. From where he was in his living room, he could hear the water splashing around in the tub.  The silent dripping of the faucet calmed him and the smell of soap put him at ease. But then he heard another noise; was that moaning? He thought to turn around but a voice in his head told him not to. He was no pervert; he wasn’t going to look at a woman as she bathed. It was indecent, it was wrong it was-she moaned again.  Dave turned slowly around to see the bathroom door halfway opened. He then remembered that the hinges were broken, so it wouldn’t close all the way. That explained why the noises were so loud, but it didn’t explain why she was making them in the first place. He walked slowly to the bathroom door and peeked inside. Her back was facing him, her head back, and towel on her face. She seemed to be soothed by the steaming water; every so often she would rub the back of her neck and stretch. She let out a blissful moan and sank lower into the water. Dave never noticed how small her frame was; her skin glistening and wet. Her hair was lying flat and soaked on her head. Dave gulped and felt all the blood in his body rush to his lower region. He placed his hand over his erection and started to slowly rub as he watched. He hoped to whoever was in the heavens that she did not turn around and see him. What he was doing was indecent and he knew it was. Images of her in full frontal nudity flashed in his mind. He rubbed his now throbbing member as he imagined him cupping her supple breasts and licking them gingerly, breathing hard to himself. He felt himself getting close to climaxing in his pants when she called his name.

“Dave…?”

He snapped from his fantasy and readjusted himself. Erect penis deflated, he answered her.

“Yes, Rose?”

  “You were awfully quiet; I wanted to know if you were okay.” She said, sweetly. Dave sighed and put his hand over his face, “I’m…I’m fine. I was just thinking.” He took a seat on his beat up arm chair and smoked a cigarette. Ten minutes later, Rose emerged from the bathroom and took a seat across from him. Drying her hair, she said to him, “Thank you, Dave. I really appreciate it.” Not looking at her, Dave nodded to show he was paying attention. “Anything for a friend….” There was an awkward silence between them. What felt like hours went passed when Rose finally asked, “You are painting today I’ll assume?” Dave nodded. She stood and positioned herself so that she could see Dave’s face. “Dave, are you alright? You mind seems somewhere else.” She placed a hand on his shoulder and he flinched at her touch. He stood and faced the window, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m fine, Rose. I’m just kind of tired.” “If that is what you say, I will have no choice but to believe your word.” And with that, she went to the bed, and cleared it off to lie down. Dave looked back at her and walked over to the bed. He picked a cover up off the floor and handed it to her. She took it with a smile and got under it. Dave smirked back at her and said softly, “I’ll wake you up before it gets too late, okay Rose?” Rose yawned and nodded her head. “Thank you, Dave. You’re so good to me.” Dave scoffed and shrugged. “I guess I’m what you’d call a proper gentleman.” “I don’t come across those often. I guess I’m grateful.” “You can say that. Sweet dreams, Ms. Lalonde.” He said sweetly as he made his way to his canvas. He stared at it for several minutes again. He glanced over at Rose who was already stone asleep and suddenly knew what to paint. He dipped his fine brush into his red paint and began creating.

            Two hours later, Rose woke up to see Dave hard at work painting. She noticed that there was a small pastry sitting next to her in a chair. “I ran out to get sweets and thought you might want something too.” Dave chimed, startling her. She whipped her eyes and sat up. She felt a little disoriented and groggy and she knew exactly why. Before encountering Dave and the young prostitutes, she fulfilled the need to feed her drug addiction. She felt bad about it; had Dave noticed? The bath helped her sober up a bit, but even so she didn’t like the feeling. She picked up the jelly filled pie on the chair and poked at it. Dave looked over at her and joked, “It’s not going to sprout teeth and kill you, Rose. You’re dreadfully thin, just eat.” She narrowed her eyes at him and took a bite. She made a face at him and he laughed, “There you go. You know you snore right; scared the living shit out of me.” She laughed and raised an eyebrow at him. He raised one back and said, “It’s true; your mouth was all open and you were drooling like a drunken hound!” Rose threw a pillow in his direction and told him to bug off. He bowed his head in submission like a wolf to its alpha female and looked back at his painting. Rose soon got up and peered at his work. The canvas was now a field of bright red roses with a clear blue sky. To the left of the field was a wooded area with a small deer peaking from its depths. It was a beautiful painting. Rose was mesmerized by its elegance. Dave glanced at her and said, “You like it?” Rose nodded and replied, “You are actually very good at painting, Dave. I’m surprised you don’t sell your work.” Dave rubbed the side of his neck with a yawn. He then leaned against the wall and folded his arms with a grimace.

   “Trust me, I would, but I just don’t have that spark anymore. I have nothing that really inspires me. This is just practice I guess; this is basic.” “Are you fooling? This is a beautiful piece of art. I’ll even buy it from you.” Dave’s eyes widened behind his glasses and cracked a small smile. “Are you serious; you’d actually do that?” Rose rolled her eyes playfully and waltzed to her purse and pulled out a handful of silver and gold coins to present to him. Dave chuckled and smiled at her.

“I guess you are serious.”

“Of course I am. You are amazing Dave. Now here, take this.”

  She handed him the coins and he, in turn. handed her the painting. “Thank you for your business, madam.” Dave said as he pocketed the money. Rose curtsied and peered outside; it was now dark and quiet. It must have been around eight in the evening. It was about time for Rose to head out into the night. She turned to Dave with a sad look in her eyes. Dave looked at her back and shrugged. “Go on, Rose; Just be careful out there.” Rose nodded at him with a smile and handed him the painting. “Will you hold this for me until we meet again?” Dave smiled widely and replied, “Of course I will. And hey, if you need to come by and sleep again, my door is always open.” Rose looked at Dave; something about his aura was calm and accepting. Even if he didn’t agree with what she did, she knew he would always be there when she needed him. With a grateful smile on her face, she gave Dave the biggest hug her small body would allow her to. The sudden gesture surprised him; he stood nervously and stared at the small woman embracing him. After smiling softly he hugged her back. They stood in silence for a minute, embracing each other; squeezing tighter every so often. Dave’s body felt strong and resilient. His broad shoulders and his arms wrapped warmly around Rose’s body made her feel safe and comfortable. They soon parted and Dave walked Rose to the door. When she stepped out, Dave said to her in a friendly voice, “Until next time, Rose.” Rose returned the gesture and made her way out into the world. She looked back every few seconds to see Dave waving goodbye to her until she was out of sight. As she walked, she untied the top of her corset, showing her cleavage to look more appealing and applied a bit of perfume that smelled like lavender.  She walked to a lamp post near the bakery and waited. She was in a happy mood; she couldn’t help but keep a smile on her face as she stood posted. Men and women passed by; some hollering hateful words to her, others whistling and describing what they would do to her. Half the job was to look appealing. Looking attractive was a sure way to get paid handsomely. That was why Rose made sure she took two baths a day, kept her hair combed and neat, and washed her clothes every Sunday morning. If she was going to do this job, she was going to do it well.

  Three hours and seventy-five pounds later, Rose found herself standing by the very same alley where she met Dave. Memories of that night filled her mind as she sighed deeply and closed her eyes. Suddenly, a hand covered her mouth and dragged her backwards, snatching her from her thoughts. She wrestled and fought with the assailant, screaming and kicking. Before she knew it, she was being thrown on the ground on her stomach. Her hands hit the ground hard in order to catch her; they stung on the hard cobblestone. She turned and looked up to see a dark figure standing above her. “What the hell? Who is that?” The figure spoke in a dark voice, “Shut up you whoring bitch! It’s about time that you got what was coming to you!” Rose narrowed her eyes to see who the mysterious man above her was. With a closer look, she could see that it was the minister from the church, looking ragged and angry. It looked as if he was drinking all night, as the smell of hard liquor was present in the air. Rose gasped and tried to get up, only to be kicked hard in her stomach. She screamed, falling down once more holding her abdomen in pain. Coughing, she asked, “Father, what the hell are you doing? You’re a man of the cloth!” He bent down and grabbed Rose up by her bangs, making her wince. “Because of that little stunt that you pulled a few nights ago, my congregation is beginning to lose faith in me. They think me a pious fool because of your whorish antics.” Rose struggled to get free but it only made it hurt more. After a few seconds he let go of her and gave her a slap across the face. She then had enough gave him a punch to his plump nose; blood began gushing out instantly. While he held his nose to stop the blood flow, Rose made a dash out of the alley and turned the corner into another alley. Without looking, she ran into a brick wall- a dead end. She looked around for another way out to no avail. Soon after, the priest showed up looking demented, his face was bloody and his fists balled. Rose backed up onto the wall, breathing heavily. For the first time in a long time, Rose was terrified.

  “Get away from me! What do you want?!” Rose yelled, fists shaking. The priest came closer to her and gave a strong right hook to the side of her head.  He did this four times to each side until she slid down the wall weakly. He kicked her once more, laughing at her every yelp. She looked up at him with blurred vision and a bruised face, looking helpless and scared; he in turn smiled wickedly down at her as he slowly undid the buttons on his trousers. “I already told you, harlot,” He began as he presented his erect penis to her; She gasped and tried to get away only to get grabbed by the hair again. “I’m giving you what you deserve. You fucked me over so I’m going to do the exact same thing.” “No! Stop it, what’s wrong with…?” She was interrupted by his member into her mouth. He shoved it deep down her throat causing her to cough and gag. She pushed at him in an attempt to get him off of her. This was all in vain; he was rather fat and heavy. He applied so much weight on the crown of her head, she felt as if she was being crushed. He boomed a mighty laugh down at her and said, “Why are you resisting? You like when men do this. You’re a filthy whore and you know it.” Rose muffled curses at the giant man; she screamed loudly to get someone’s attention. No one heard her, the small number of people who walked by did nothing to help her. Eventually, he released into her mouth then threw her back against the wall, causing her to hit her head while she spit out the discharge in disgust and whipped it from her mouth. She looked up at him with white hot anger and gritted teeth.

  “Fuck you!” She spat at him, trying to stand. “Fuck you straight to Hell!” The priest just laughed and slapped her once more. “Don’t talk back to me; I am a man of status. People look up to me, or they did until you let certain things leave your little mouth. You make me sick.” He punched her again and blood dripped fast from her lip. She fell once more and put up her hands in submission. “Just stop! Please, no more!” Her armor was cracked. She had never felt so scared in her life; obviously men have taken advantage of her before, but not like this. She sniffled and whipped the blood from her face. The priest, now rubbing his private roughly peered down at Rose with hungry eyes. The sight of her helpless and crying aroused him in the creepiest of ways. He got down on his knees in front of Rose and forced her legs apart. Rose’s heart began beating rapidly as she tried to struggle away. He held her by her ankle tightly with one hand while he tore her underwear off with the other. He grabbed hold of the other ankle and inched closer to her now exposed vagina. Rose struggled more and more, but his hold on her was too strong. Rose whimpered, “N-no! What the hell are you doing?! Stop it now!” He paid no heed and inserted himself inside of her with a mighty thrust. Rose let out a pained yell and tried her hardest to force him off of her. He in turn he grabbed her by her wrists and held her down. “Now, now we can’t have any of that.” He grunted, still thrusting. “Just lie down and take it like you always do. Don’t act like you don’t liked being fucked; why else would you be doing it every night. I’m going to make you pay, whore!”

  Rose couldn’t do anything- she was broken. All she could do was take it; She would call out for help from the people who passed by. They ignored her cries for help and continued walking past; one woman more than likely recognized her and told her that she deserved what was happening to her. It was then that Rose began to cry uncontrollably under the massive weight of her harasser. She pleaded and begged for him to stop, but he only silenced her with more threats of violence. As he forced his way into her, sweating and grunting all the while, he placed his fat hands around Rose’s neck, choking her. She tried to remove them but it was no use. Tightening is hold, he jeered, “You like that don’t you bitch? You like being punished don’t you?” It sure felt like a punishment to her; not only was the weight crushing but every thrust he made was painful and very deep. It hurt her to no end. To make matters worse, with every cry she made, the more horrible it got and she was sober for the whole thing. Usually, she was doped up and numb to most of the sex that she had, if not she just naturally did not feel it. But this time she felt everything; the great sting that bounced from her walls, the hard pounding of his thrusts, her joints and other areas that were hit were all in a great deal of pain and she could do nothing. She screamed more and more through her tears, “Someone help me!! Please…oh god….ow! No….It hurts…help!! Please, God, somebody help me!” “Shut the hell up, bitch! No one can hear you; no one wants to hear you! Everyone here knows that you’re a filthy fucking whore bitch! And don’t you dare say the lord’s name in vain; he abandoned you years ago!” He released once more all over her dress and face, and then stood. He peered down at her, smiling viciously. Rose was dirty; she was drenched in sweat, tears and seamen, her dressed was ripped horrendously at the bottom and was covered in blood and bruises. She backed herself into a corner and shook timidly, crying violently. She began thinking about Dave. She wanted him to come save her from the hell that she just witnessed. She wanted him to hold her tightly and tell her everything was going to be okay. But above all, she wanted him to stand tall and fend off her attacker like a knight would his princess. But Dave was not there, there was no knight and she was no princess. After whipping the sweat from his brow and rearranging his clothing, the priest turned to Rose and told her, “That was only a warning. Don’t try to tell the police; I bribed them enough money so I can get off scot free. If you try to get them involved, they were told to use brute force and harsh punishment. If I ever see you in or around my cathedral again, I will have you stoned and burned in the middle of the square!” He spat on her and turned to leave. “Oh,” he added, turning back and digging in his pocket. “Here’s your money, harlot.” And he was gone in the night without a backwards glance.

  Rose was alone now. Her bottom lip quivered as it dripped blood. Her cheeks and insides throbbed with searing pain. She stayed huddled in the corner shaking. She could not control it anymore; Rose Lalonde, after years of being strong, broke down. She screamed and cried and cursed the heavens above. She cursed herself, the priest, and the whole damned town. She punched the brick wall next to her, only to cause more pain and bleeding. She hated herself. If she was to die at that moment, she would be happy. Clouds soon formed above her the air got cold. Drops of rain fell at a steady pace before increasing into a full thunder storm. Rose stayed in the alley, wet and crying. Spring had now arrived.


	6. The Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave and friends go on an emotional search to find Rose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took forever and a day to update. I've been busy with life and other endeavors. Please enjoy.

It had been a long six weeks since Dave had last seen Rose. The last he had seen of her was the night she slept at his house. He had begun to worry when she did not return to receive the painting that she had purchased from him. Every day, he would search the area to find her, with a little help from his friends. The three of them searched high and low for their missing companion; sometimes the search went late into the night when the streets were empty and dark. John and Jade closed their shops early on these days so they would have more time to help look for the missing Rose. They asked local venders and townspeople if they had seen her, all to no avail. They checked the boarders of the city and long the beach. They went to different taverns and brothels only to be turned right back around.   
During this time, Dave rarely got any sleep. When he wasn’t searching for Rose, he stayed in his home staring longingly out the window, hoping for her safe return. He pondered whether her disappearance was his fault of if it was by some other work of fate. Still, he only found himself get more and more worried. On nights when he searched alone, he stayed posted by the spot where they had first met, hoping that she would turn up. He was often approached by other prostitutes in the area but he always paid them no mind. As days turned in to weeks, Dave was getting more and more depressed about the situation. He eventually stopped going to work all together. However, his boss was not accepting of his actions and later fired him for his irresponsibility. Not taking it well, Dave soon turned back to his old habits. He depressingly sat in the Harlequin every night, drinking and listening to John trying his best to cheer up his dear friend.

“Hey, cheer up there, Dave. We’re bound to find her sooner or later. There might just be a great chance that she’s just visiting a family member or taking a pleasure trip. You’ll never know.”

“She has no family members to visit, John. And if she went out on a vacation, don’t you think she’d tell me first?” Dave retorted, not taking his eyes off his glass. He looked tired, worn, and unshaven; the five o’clock shadow hugging his face made him look at least three years older. Jade, sitting next to Dave, sipped from her glass of warm cider and spoke. “Dave, it’s not the end of the world, alright? Rose is going to turn up sooner than you know it. And when she does, everything will go back to normal. If anything, she’s just been busy. Don’t go completely mad over this, please?” Dave looked at his friend to see her staring at him with honest and genuine concern. He nodded and thanked them both. He decided to call it a night and stood to leave. Jade, hastily, offered to walk Dave home to make sure he stayed out of trouble. After a two minute debate and a lot of arm twisting, he finally agreed to the escort.   
On the way back to his house, Jade tried her hardest to take Dave’s mind off of his troubles. They reminisced about old times and when the days were simpler. They joked about the goofy things the three of them have done over the years and how much fun it all was. They found themselves taking the long way home for the sake of not wanting to finish their conversation. The two of them walked until they ended up in front of a tavern a little ways away from the market district. It seemed to have been closing time as a flock of inebriated men all stumbled out at the same time. Dave and Jade stepped to the side to stay out of their way. The two of them chucked to each other at the sight they were seeing. Lastly, two gentlemen walked out laughing loudly and slapping each other on the back. Dave noticed that they both looked fairly familiar. He motioned for Jade to keep quiet and unseen as he stepped closer to get a better look. To his surprise it was the town’s priest and the officer who had given him and Rose many a problem. Not wanting to have any more issues that evening, he prompted Jade to continue walking in the opposite direction. As they continued walking, Dave overheard a bit of their conversation.

“-Oh yeah, it was a bit of a struggle but I got what I wanted in the end. Bloody whore had what was coming to her.”  
“My goodness father, I’m in suspense. Whomever are you speakin’ of?”  
The priest smiled wickedly at his companion and looked around and spoke. “You know that nasty little degenerate that’s been giving us a boat load of trouble; the blond one with the attitude?” The officer stayed silent for a few seconds trying to remember. Then his eyes widened with realization. He boomed with laughter and slapped the priest hard on the back. “You sly dog, you; I was wondering where you had run off to that night.” “Yes, I taught her a lesson she’ll never forget. I must say, I do enjoy her better when she’s crying and trembling. She’s a little less sassy that in that state.” The priest said straightening his collar. Clearing his throat he continued, “She embarrassed me more than you can imagine, my friend. It had to be done; it was God’s will. I’ll bet she won’t show her harlot face around my church again. It’s bittersweet, I’m afraid; she was a really good one. Best shag I had in a while. Oh well, there will be others.” The two began to walk away, bellowing into the night. Dave and Jade stood frozen and in shock. Jade, still looking at them, said in a small voice, “Dave…you don’t think…?” She turned her attention to Dave who was breathing heavily with murderous rage. His fists were clenched and his teeth were barred.   
“D-Dave…?” Jade stuttered nervously, trying to pull him away from his target. He snatched himself away from her hold and began to walk over. Jade yelled softly for him to return, but he had completely tuned her out. Soon his slow walk turned into a fast one, and from there he started sprinting, then he broke out into a full run and was yelling angrily at the top of his lungs. The priest and officer turned around to find the source of the ruckus. Before he could other a syllable, Dave’s fist collided strongly against the priest’s face, knocking him down on the hard pavement. Dave then turned and decked the officer in the stomach and socked him square in the jaw, causing him to stagger than drop. Trying to stand, the priest muttered, “My boy, w-whatever are you doing? I’ve done nothing wrong to you-““SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Dave interrupted as he kicked the priest back down. He was soon standing over him in a bloody rage. He mounted the man and began to punch him repeatedly in the face. It did not take long for his nose and lips to start bleeding aggressively as he begged Dave to stop. “WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE? TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO KNOW YOU SON OF A BITCH!” “I…I don’t know who you’re talking about….” The priest begged, coughing up blood. Dave punched him again, “YOU KNOW WHO THE HELL I’M TALKING ABOUT! WHERE THE HELL IS ROSE LALONDE!? HOW DARE YOU! YOU SICK, CURRUPT BASTARD! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT COULD HAVE DONE TO HER?! DID YOU THINK HOW SHE MIGHT HAVE FELT?!” The priest let out a sinister laugh through his bloody coughs. Dave stopped punching him so he could speak. “The bitch had it coming. It was just another fuck for her, whether she wanted it or not. As for her, she’s probably killed herself by now or too doped up to care about anything. I hope the devil takes her wicked soul to hell. The same for you; you’re just as guilty as she is.” Dave started up another round of punching and swearing, the priest laughing and coughing up blood all the while. Before he could utter another insult, he felt a boot collide with the side of his face. He fell to the ground and looked up to see the officer standing above him. Dave tried to get up to fight only to be punched in the eye and fall back to the ground. The officer then kicked Dave hard in the stomach over and over, Dave yelling out on agony loudly as he did it. The officer stopped kicking him and wrapped his large hands around his neck, choking Dave. “I’ve just about had it with you!” He strangled him harder and harder until Dave felt himself getting weak. As he felt his life slipping away, he pondered whether all his efforts were in vain. He had failed to find the one woman he had truly cared for. He would never know where Rose had gone or if she was okay. He wondered if she was thinking about him or if he would see her on the other side. As his vision grew black, he heard a loud gun shot from very close bye. He was dropped to the ground on his stomach, coughing and gasping for air. He looked up to see Jade; armed with a service rifle and an angry expression. “Let him alone or I’ll blast your balls off!” The officer scoffed and stepped towards Jade. She took another shot that landed three centimeters from his foot. “Don’t make me tell you again! Get out of here, NOW!” She barked loudly. The two scrambled away without a second glance. Discarding the gun off to the side, Jade ran over to Dave as he slowly got to his knees. She gave him a tight hug and kissed him on the top of his head. “Oh, Dave, you need to be more careful! You could’ve gotten hurt, Dave!” Dave stayed silent; he just looked up at Jade with tired bloodshot eyes. He trembled slightly, his fists were bruised, and his face and clothes were splattered in blood that wasn’t his. He finally decided to speak, and when he did, he uttered his words softly and shakily. “He…he hurt her, Jade. You heard; the slimy bastard…” “I know, Dave. That’s means there’s all the more reason for us to go find her.”  
Dave sat on the blood splattered pavement. His glasses lay cracked and useless, revealing is swollen black eye. Jade tried to examine it only for Dave to flinch away from her touch. His eyes stayed focused on the ground angrily. He was trembling violently with anger with clenched fists. He punched the ground with great force, causing him to hurt himself. “Fuck! Just…fuck!” Jade held the frustrated Dave in her arms trying to sooth him; his eyes became watery and his vision was obscured by tears. He couldn’t be strong anymore, and he cried deeply into Jade’s bosom. Jade consoled her friend by running her hands through his hair. It was sweaty but still remained soft to the touch. 

“It’s okay to cry, Dave. Let it all out.”

“I…I have to find her. He hurt her; the bastard hurt her worse than anyone ever could. I should’ve killed him. I should’ve killed that son of a bitch!” He shouted into the night.

Jade watched as her friend writhed with anger. She looked out into the night; it was quiet and calm. There was a soft chill breeze sweeping along the street that blew through Jade’s hair slowly. She looked to Dave who was still crying in rage. “You don’t get it, Jade. I…I love her. I love her more than I can even understand! If anything happened to her I’d just….” He began to sob deeper. Jade, finding she was beginning to get emotional, whipped the blood splatter from Dave’s face. With a deep breath, she said, “Dave…I know your hurting. But you can’t go around on a mad quest for revenge; it’s not rational. You got your revenge now we have to focus on making sure Rose is safe.” Dave nodded his head and Jade helped him to his feet. He staggered a bit but with Jade’s help, he was able to get back home. Feeling a little calmer, he lay on his bed and looked at the painting he made for Rose. Before drifting off to sleep, his last thoughts were of Rose and the hopes that she would be safe and sound the next time they would meet. He dreamed of her and the nights they had shared over the short time they were together.


End file.
